Whew!

Before they moved to Kauai, D and L held an estate sale, at which she sold many of her paintings and prints. One, a seascape of a sailboat with a floating tulip, depicted L’s longing for her homeland of Holland. We had bought a small print of the painting, and were stunned and grateful when she gifted us with the original as a going-away gift.

At the time, I had an online store where I sold art, collectibles and designer clothing, the proceeds going to charity.

“Don’t even THINK of selling this one online!” she admonished when she gave us the painting, and we happily packed it up as we planned our own move to Hawaii seven months ago.

Well, our seacontainer just arrived, and we have been happily unpacking. It is like Christmas! Each box contains a group of treasures that we Ooh and Aah over as we take it out of the box.

We unpacked all the picture boxes: all of DH’s art, many pieces by L, and other assorted pieces. D and L are arriving tomorrow for a week-long visit, and we have been feverishly working to get the house ready for their visit.

But the sea-tulip picture wasn’t found. “Are you sure you packed it?” DH asked me. I called DS and asked if perhaps he mistakenly took it to his house when he moved last week. Nope. I panicked, worrying that I had somehow overlooked it in the frenzy of packing the week before we left Nevada, and worried that L would suspect we had indeed auctioned it off……

We plodded on, hanging pictures here and there. One was unexpectedly heavy, and as I lifted it to place on the hook, I noted two wires for hanging…..?

Ah-hah! The missing painting was nested into the back of a larger framed piece.

Saved…..